Crossing the border with Blue Jays beat reporter Jordan Bastian.

Game #152: Red Sox at Blue Jays pregame

The Blue Jays may have to increase the budget for baseballs next season. Some of their personnel are taking to hitting a fair number of balls into the upper regions of the Rogers Centre lately. Hours before game time tonight, third base coach Brian Butterfield stood behind home plate and yelled "Tabby!" Butter then used his fungo bat to try to launch a ball up to Pat Tabler in the TV booth in the fourth deck.

After a handful of misses fell short — where balls crashed off the facing and dropped back to the field or into the stands — one of the Boston writers shouted, "Hey Butter! You need to hit the weight room!" Butter promptly turned and drilled a line drive into the pressbox, sending the writers into a frenzy to protect their computers. Nice. Butter went on to send a baseball into the GM’s box, and another into the FAN590 booth, where Jerry Howarth was egging him on.

This came a few days after Matt Stairs put on quite the show before Toronto’s game against the Yankees on Friday. A few kids in Sightlines restaurant in center field — the area above Windows restaurant — were yelling at Stairs, who was hitting balls off a tee near home plate, to hit one their way. Stairs took his tee out near the mound and began launching ball after ball toward the kids. He sent baseballs ricocheting off Windows and into the stands and even sent one bouncing about halfway up the jumbotron. Stairs finally got one in the restaurant, but it landed about 20 feet to the left of the kids, who then saw the ball bounce back out to the field. Ah, well. "A" for effort. ~JB

NOTES: Toronto shortstop John McDonald insists that he didn’t ask for these last two games off because his new $3.8 million contract has gotten to his head. All kidding aside, McDonald is suffering from a hip flexor that is causing some discomfort when he runs. It doesn’t hurt when he hits or fields, so McDonald is available off the bench. Jays manager John Gibbons said Johnny Mac could get into the game on Wednesday. That’d be good news, considering Mac needs to appear in each of the last 11 games to qualify for the fielding precentage title at his position. Currently, L.A.’s Orlando Cabrera leads qualified American League shortstops with a .982 fielding percentage. McDonald needs to reach 108 games to have his .986 mark qualify. That would also tie Colorado’s Troy Tulowitski for the highest mark in the big leagues.

BREAKING EVEN…Toronto needs to post a 6-5 record over its final 11 games to finish the season above .500.

His hometown is about 5 miles from where I live. A former batboy for the Devil Rays, he was a batboy when Crawford came up back in 2002.

Sox need this win bad!!!!

Yankees are right there and they could pass the Sox. Playoffs are a gurantee for sure but them playing well is the deal now. If they play well, they will win the division if not they will be a wild card.

sorry gs , Bosox switched back to RS site because he knows that ump made a BS call. Adams didn’t lift his foot high enough to get his cleats off the bag . I know sox think it was right but umps need to get their eyes checked . If it was a fair call I have no problem but this one was very one sided. They need to keep that rivalry alive between Yanks and Sox ….its good for business

He is more valuable for 3 relief apperances than 1 start. Why start him?

Francona’s hands were tied tonight with Bucholtz. If the Sox had to play tomm night, I doubt if Bucholtz would have started becuase they would have to use there pen so much in 2 games. A night off tomm so it doesn’t matter if the Sox use 4 guys out of the pen tonight.

The last guy Bucholtz faced was Stairs and stuck him out again for the 3rd time. It had nothing to do with the situation, it had to do with the inning. 160 is the number, they do not want him to past that number for the year.

Gibbons did argue but like i said no way was Adams out and you know it . His foot never was lifted high enough and if you watch replays neither Lowell or the Ump even looked at Adam’s foot . It was a BS call

They replayed and stopped it several times, Adams cleats were always on the bag . Sox got a break . Like I said , I want sox to take the division but I want them to earn it fairly . Umping this year has been terrible and I mean for every team not just the jays

Tito pulled him because we were starting to get to him-period. As you and I both know, you can’t get by in the bigs with a 91 MPH fastball if it has no movement. Sooner or later the guys sit on hit and belt him. Tito realized that and pulled him. Right call.

And don’t say anything about Stairs, he;s in a 1 for 25 slump.

I agree with you on the announcers-Jamie Campbell in particular-he’s awful.

Indigo-The umps have been told by the governor of Massachussets that the Sox have to win or he’ll have to declare a state emergency. lol

Lowell ws NOT looking at his feet and Adams didn’t lift his foot he slid it along . His cleats never left the bag . Lowell and the Ump were standing too close to even see . Blame the announcers……lol….. Like sox or any other teams announcers are any different. What team would want announcers who didn’t support them ? Like I said you guys got a very lucky call . If he had been out , I would have said great play by Lowell but not this time .

Of course Lowell was looking. If he wasn’t, how would he know what to do?

What does he have his eyes in his glove?

I’m not blaming the announcers. I say they are boring!!! What do they have to do with the game on the field?

The camera angle that the t.v. was showing wasn’t anything you could say whether he was safe or not. I go by Butterfield not arguing and Adams not doing anything as well. Nobody doing anything from the dugout as well, it happend right in front of them.

How could you say Lowell wasn’t looking? That is funny to me!!!

It happens at second base alot, you see all the time either the s.s. or 2b staying with the baserunner. Not too many times at 3b.

I read the girl comments but i don’t get jealous . Its a negative emotion that uses up too much good energy I can use elsewhere…..lol…
Exactly Adams didn’t know he was called out because he wasn’t out and I think Butter was in shock but Gibby did come out and argue …..too bad he isn’t more forceful. Lowell was looking at Adams but NOT at his feet . He saw him slide over but not lift his foot . Like i said have to keep that rivalry alive at all cost . Not sure what camera angle you saw but they sure made a point of zoning in on it here

I am younger and see better than you obviously…lol……go get yours checked . Funny Baseball is one of the only sports that don’t use instant replay and they could sure use it . I don’t think umps would admit to making a mistake even then …..lol..

Well, most of our bats are injured. But, it appears some of the youngsters like Lind and Adams are coming through when needed. And Frank, is focused on hitting 30 and driving in 100.

Don’t expect anything from Vernon, I think he’s hurting so bad he can’t hardly swing. And expect nothing from Overbea or Zaun. The guy we need for the Yanks series is Stairs-with that short right filed fence in Yankee stadium-I hope he comes out of his recent slump

Just got in from cleaning the trailer park. These dirty Canadiens that live here. You know the ones with the socks and sandles. lol…..

This game tonight doesn’t bother me because it was evident they weren’t into this game at all. Why start Bucholtz if he is only going to give you 69 pitches. The last guy he faced he struck out. I would rather see him coming out of the pen 3 times as opposed to 1 start. The Jays now go to N.Y. and the rookies will be dressed in drag. ( In other words they’ll be looking like gsumner and garrygay when they got married last summer ) lol….

Sox are off to this area, perhaps I’ll go down to there beach side hotel and wake there a–es up!!! Someone has to!!!

You already proposed to garryguy. You guys are married from what I here.

Just what I read in the Toronto Globe and Mail.

Perhaps the worst sports section they say among major league cities. I here the paper’s sport section is very small. What is up with that?

Don’t get fooled by the play of Adams.

He is nothing but a utility player. Not a starter. He blasted that one off of Papelbon.

He hit Papelbon for a big hit last year at Fenway, in early May. I believe it was Papelbon’s first loss of the season last year. You might want to look that up, i’m not too sure. My memory is usally good. You like guys with good memory indigo????

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